50TH ANNIVERSARY OF YURI GAGARIN'S SPACE FLIGHT

On October 19 at Chicago's Adler Planetarium, I enjoyed attending an event I had helped organize, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s historic mission in 1961, when he became the first human to venture into outer space.

The event included a dedication of a statue of Gagarin, donated by the Russian government, one of 11 that were donated to cities all over the world in honor of Gagarin’s world-changing flight.

As co-chair of the Moscow Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International, I helped organize the event and invite speakers including Romanian cosmonaut Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu, who discussed the significance of Gagarin’s pioneering flight and his personal experiences and mission accomplishments as part of the international space program.